Can basket self-centering system



April 19, 1932. J. A. MARTocr-:LLO

CAN BASKET SELF CENTERING SYSTEM Filed June`15, 192e 7 sheets-sheet 1 J. A. MARTOCELLO CAN BASKET SELF CENTERING SYSTEM April 19, 1932.

`7 sheets-sheet 2 Filed June l5 1926 A i i April 19, 1932. J. A. MARTQCELLO GAN BASKET SELF CENTERINGYSTEM Filed June 15, 1926 fr sheets-sheet 3 April 19, 1932 J\A. MARTocELLo 1,854,343

CAN BASKET SELF CENTERING SYSTEM A Filed'June 15. 192e 'I sheets-sheet 4 April 19, 1932. J. A. MARTOCELLO CAN. BASKET SELF CENTERING SYSTEM 7 sheets-sheet 5 Filed June l5, 1926 J. A. MARTOCELLO 1,854,343

CAN BASKET SELF CENTERING SYSTEM April 19, 1932.

7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Jim@ 15, 1926 April 19', 1932. J. A. MARTocELLo GAN BASKET SELF CENTERING SYSTEM 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed June 15 1926 Patented Apr. 19, 1932 JOSEPH A. MARTOCELLO, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA CAN BASKET SELF-CENTERING SYSTEM Application filed June 15, 1926. Serial No. 116,097.

My invention relates to can baskets for use in making ice in either high or low pressure systems and has more particular reference to the air connections of can baskets.

A purpose of my invention is to permanently secure an air lateral to the inside of a can basket. f

A further purpose is to protect the air connections of a basket from entry of water while thawing lose the ice from the cans and subsequently while filling the cans with fresh water after thawing loose and dumping the ica-'providing sealing pockets to receive the nozzles disconnected from the air drop tubes and an automatic closure for the air lateral secured to the basket when disconnected from its `air supply nozzle.

A further purpose is to conveniently hold and to seal air nozzles that have been disconnected from the air drop tubes of a pair of adjacent cans of a can basket in separate fittings' or preferably in a common tting fastened optionallv to a side of one of the cans or to the top of a central pivoted bracket for supporting' the tubes. j

A further purpose is to reduce the work upon the freezing Hoor to a minimum,-pref erably to that of merely transferring the basket to and from the floor and the transfer of an air supply nozzle from an air lateral carried by the basket to an adjacent sealing cup on the freezing floor before moving away the basket and again to the lateral when the basket is brought back.

A further purpose is to supply the drop tubes of the cans of a can basket with selfcentering support adapted to position the tubes automatically at the middle of the respective cans,-a support that according to circumstance may comprise, individual brackets removably carried upon the sides of i individual cans, or double brackets each carrying two drop tubes and supported either removably or 90 rotatably between the adjacent sides of adjacent cans.

A further purpose is to provide a can basket with an air lateral having an inlet adapted to receive an air supply nozzle and to automatically seal when the supply nozzle is not in place, and having outlet members bracketing the lateral to the basket and advantageously cooperating with flexible connections to the drop tubes of the respective cans.

Further purposes will appear in the specilication and in the claims.

` I have preferred to show one main form only of my invention with a few minor modiications chiefly for better adaptation to different baskets and have selected a form that is practical and efficient in operation and which illustrates particularly well the principles involved.

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my invention adapted to an ice can basket for the coil type of cooler.

Figure 2 is a vertical fragmentary section illustrating the invention adapted to a can basket for the shell type of cooler.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure 2.

Figure 4; is a perspective view generally similar to Figure 1 but with a different form of air lateral.

AFigure 5 is a broken top plan view of part of the structure of Figure l illustrating the lateral and its fittings.

Figure 6 is a section of Figure 5 taken upon line 6 6 thereof.

Figures 7 8, 9 and 10 are sections of Figure 5 taken upon the lines 7 7,- 8-8,'9*-.9 and 10-10, respectively, looking in the directions of the arrows, the nozzle of Figure 10 being turned at right angles to its position of Figure 5.

Figure l1 is a broken top plan view to enlarged scale of the structure of Figure 4 illustrating the lair lateral and fittings.

Figure 12 is a front elevation of Figure 11 taken upon line 12-12 thereof.

Figures 13, 14 and 15 are detail sections t-aken respectively upon the line 13--13 of Figure 11 and 14-14 and 15-15 of Figure 12 looking in the directions of the arrows, the nozzle of Figure 15 being turned at right angles to its position in Figure 12.

Figure 16 is a section to enlarged scale showing the nozzle checks for receiving the air nozzles when disconnected from the drop tubes and may be considered as taken upon the line 16 of Figure 1 or 16e-16 of Figure 4.

Figure 17 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 16.

Figure 18 is a fragmentary vertical section to enlarged scale that may be considered as a section taken upon the line 18-18 of Figure 1 or the line 18-18 of Figure 4 but illustrating a different form of air tube bracket from that shown in these figures.

Figure 19 is a top plan view `of Figure 18.

Figure 2() is a centra-l section of a detail, an air check for the supply nozzle.

Like numerals `refer to like parts in all figures.

This application is intended as `a parent case showing the entire vequipment and from which subject matter may be 'divided out.

Describing in illustration and not in limitation and referring to the drawings,--

In modern ice manufacturing, the ice cans are frequently handled in basket units, usually at least five or six cansto a basket. After the freezing operation is complete the unit is lifted from the freezing floor and transferred first to a thawing tank where it is dipped into warm water until the cans are thawed loose from the ice, then to the dump where it is inclined or tipped over until the ice slides from the cans. The cans of the unit are then refilled and the unit taken back to the freez ing floor for vth-e manufacture of another batch of ice. The types of basket vary considerably.

If the freezing is accomplished by means of a. coil type cooler cold coils inthe freezing tankzpass `betweenadjacent'rows of cans and thecans of each basket have tofbe relatively spaced fromone another sufficiently to permit the successive cold coils to lit between successivebaskets of the unit when the unit is in place in the freezing` tank.

In the shell type cooler the brine of the freezing tank is continuously circulated through a shell cooler at one end of the tank and then circulated around the tank to freeze the water in-the ice cans.

Vith this type of cooler the cans yof a basket unit do not have to be spaced from one another to any extent as there are no coils between successive cans.

The baskets shown in Figures land 4 are for use with a coil type of cooler, While the basket fragment shown in Figure 2 is for a `shell type cooler, the successive cans being spaced from one another in the first-caseand against one another inthe second.

The -ice can `basket-of Figures lfand 4 comprises a frame structure around the upper ends of the cans 26, the cans being firmly fastened into the frame structure by suitable support around and above and below each band 27 about the top of the can.

The side plates 28 and 29 carry metal strips 30 engaging the bottoms of the bands across the short sides of the can and transverse metal strips 31 fastened between the side plates engage the bottoms of the bands of adjacent cans across the long sides of the cans.

These transverse supporting and connecting strips 31 between the side plates are placed between successive cans except where replaced near one end of the basket by the lifting plates 32 and 33 and near the other end of thel basket by lifting plates 34 and 35. Each of these lifting plates carries a strip 36 enand supporting the bottom of the band of its `adjacent can.

rflhe lifting plates are shown as pairs of heavy transverse plates between the first and second cans from each end, with ends notched and riveted at 3,7 into the side plates and the plates Aof `each pair carrying between them lifting pin 38 for engagement by a suitable hook when transferring the basket from place to place.

vThe cans are suppor-tedat'the'top of the. bands by removable strips or plates39 fastened to the side plates.

A desirable feature of my invention lies in the inor-epermanent fastening of yan air lateral to the basket.

The'form of lateral shown inFigures land 5 to 10 is advantageous in 4its adaptation to easy and inexpensive manufacture and' installation and comprises a rectangular conduit 4() and valve and T bracket fittings holding the conduit to place against the side plate 29 of the basket.

The lateral fittings linclude an automatically self-closing air-supply valve 41, T littings 42 and 43 and Valso preferably a drip fitting 44.

The rectangular conduit 40, cut to length, is bored laterallyat 45 to receive the inwardly directed tubular bosses 46 of the T members. One lend of the conduit 40 fitsinto the discharge end 47 of the self-closing air-supply valve 41 and the other end of the tube receives theinlet end 48 of the drip fitting 44.

The self-closing air-supply valve 41 has preferablya soldered connection at 49 with the end of the rectangular tube and cooperates with an air-supply `nozzle 50 on the end of a flexible tube 5 1 which is connected into an air header 52- This valve is best seen in Figures 5,6 and 10.

The supply nozzle and self-closing valve 41 are connected and ldisconnected respectively by pushing the slightly tapered nozzle 5() `into or pulling it'out of the socket for barrel 53 of the valve.

When the nozzle 50 is pushed into the barrel 53 to make connection between ythevnozzle and valve, its forward end engages .and pushes back a closure disc 54 inside of the valve. The closure disc is pressed toward its seat 55 by a spring 56 and this spring vreturns the disc to its seat when the nozzle is removed.

The end of the nozzle is castellatedV or ported at 57 to prevent the disc engagement with the end ofthe nozzle from closing the nozzle.

A rubber ring 58, held to placeinside the barrel between an annular flange 59 and a screw collar 60, seals the nozzle laterally.

Preferably the self-closing valve 4l is provided with perforated lug 6l for bolt connection to the side plate 29 of the basket.

The air check v62 which receives the end of the air supply nozzle 50 when this nozzle is disconnected from the valve 4l is best seen in Figures l and 20. As shown it comprises a metal-closed pocket 63 having an inlet generally similar to the inlet ofthe valve 41.V

An upwardly directed shoulder 59 carries a rubber ring 58 held to place by means of a screw `collar threaded into the top of the fitting. The fitting is shown provided with lateral flange 64 perforated to receive one or more screws for fastening the air check to the fioor.

,The single T fitting 42 is best seen in Figures 5, 6 and 9 and functions to bracket the rectangular tube 40 to the side plate 29 of the basket as well as to afford a branch connecj tion to the air drop tube. n

An inside tubular boss 46 carries suitable annular gasket 65 and fits into the bore 45 of the rectangular tube. The T member 42 is bolted to the side plate 29 at'66, making a clamping seal at the gasket with the rectangular tube 40.

Desirable heat insulation 67 may be insertied between the T and the side plate.

A nipple 68 is screwed into the outer tubular boss 69 of the T and carries flexible connection'70 to the drop tube.

The double T members 43 (best seen in lFigures 5, 6 and 8) are substantially similar to the single Ts just described except that two inlet connections are provided into the rectangular tube, washers or gaskets 65 upon inwardly directed tubular bosses 46 that fit 'into the bores 45 of the rectangular tube,

being pressed tightly between the T fitting and the face of the rectangular tube by means of the bolts 66 which bracket the T member to the side plate 29.

PreferablyV the nipples 7l and 7l from the double T arel placed one above another, which permits a somewhat narrower fitting' and an easy out-of-the-way alining of the flexible connections between the cans ywhen end of the rectangular conduit is shown as` an L 7 2l carrying a downwardly directed petcock 73. This petcock is opened from time toV time to drain out any accumulated water within the lateral, or if there is a continuous deposition of moisture within the lateral itmay be left open continuouslyl a small amount sufficient to permit the depositing moisture to drip out continuously.

In Figure l the air check 62 is in a stationary portion of the fioor, the adjacent selfclosing valve 41 being on the side plate 29.

In Figure 4 however the air check 62 is mounted upon a timber 76 beneath the header 52. It opens horizontally toward the basket instead of vertically upward, and for more easy access is located away from the corner of the basket, the lateral being extended perpendicularly from the side plate 29 partially across the end of the basket to bring the self-closing valve 4l on the end of the lateral to position near the air check. Either arrangement is preferable according to circumstance.

I find it desirable to heat-insulate the lateral at 67 from the metal side plate 29 of the can basket unless the air is dehydrated. In practice `this usually means insulation when the baskets are to be used in the low pressure system.

In the high pressure system the air is usually dehydrated sufliciently to make insulationv of the lateral unnecessary.

This heat insulation lessens or eliminates the continuous deposition of moisture in the lateral which otherwise may be material whenever the air used is of relatively high humidity.

When the lateral is round (Figure 4) ini stead of rectangular (Figure l) the lateral fittings areV preferably screwed into successive sections of the lateral instead of the soldered socket connection between an integral rectangular lateral with its end fittings and Desirably the drop tubes are centered in the middle of the respective cans and one of the features of my invention is the automatic self-centering of the drop tubes. This automatic self-centering is effected in somewhat different ways according to circumstance or to individual preference of customers.

In the basket shown in Figure l individual brackets 77 are provided for the individual drop tubes 78. The drop tube is provided Vpreferably with head and socket loose connection at 79 with its bracket, and the bracket and tube are handled as a unit, lifted away after the tube is thawed loose at the t-hawl whi'ch has been thawed loose freezing in again while the other is being thawed out, the .tubes can be made separately removable by eliminating lock nuts 79.

Preferably the individual brackets arein a -'form `to fit and register with the inwardly projecting bead 8O of the can.

This bead is in most commercial cans and strengthens and stillens the can. It extends downwardly at the middle of the can and the bracket 77 is provided with a concave portion 81 that is adapted to make a register lit with the bead, the drop tube loosely supported upon the end of the bracket being then at the centralaxis of the can.

When the basket is for a shell type of cooler the individual cans of the basket are usuale ly close together and desirably the individual brackets are then replaced by double brackets 82 as best seen in Figures 2 and 3.

The brackets are of length such that when placed at the middle of the sides of the can-s, the drop tubes hang in the central axes of the respective cans.

Figures 18 and 19 illustrate a double tubeand-bracket unit 83 pivoted between adjacent cans and adapted to alinement between the cans.

A supporting bearing 84: is fastened between the cans and receives a downwardly extending pivot 85 from the bracket. The pivot or spindle 85 and bracket loosely latch together when the drop tubes are in themiddle of the respective cans and again when the drop tubes are between the cans.

This latching may comprise a springpressed ball 86 adapted to extend somewhat into the interior of the bearing 84 to register with either of two spherical recesses 87 or 88 in the body of the spindle in the recess 87 y vwhen the drop tubes are in the middle of the respective cans and in the recess 88 when the bracket and drop tubes are alined between thev cans.

As shown a radial socket 89 in the wall of the bearing containing the ball 86 is provided with a ball seat 90 at its inner end that prevents the ball from passing into the bearing but permits it to project suiiiciently far into the bearing to make latch engagement with the spherical recesses.

A spring 91, between the ball and a screw closure 92 in the outer end of thesocket, presses the ball toward latch engagement.

The spindle 85 is desirably extended downwardly a distance sufhcient to permit raising the bracket and drop tubes far enough to turn the drop tubes into alinement between the cans without engagement between the ,tubes and the sides of the cans and without removing the spindle all the way from the bearing 84.

This downwardly extending portion 93 of the spindle is shown of smaller diameter than the pivot portion, its function being that of a loose guide to make it very easy to move the drop tubes from operating position in the cans to the out-of-the-way position between the cans.

This latching engagement between the bracket and its supporting bearing holds the bracket from moving either axially or angularly unless a sufficient pull is applied to open the latch when it slides easily enough, the ball 86 springing back into the socket 89.

I find it quite desirable to protect the air connections from entry of water during the period of disconnection from the air supply, and for this reason automatically close the air inlet valve 11 when the supply nozzle 50 is removed from this valve.

The nozzles 94: in the ends of the flexible connections 95 from the T fittings of the air lateral are left in the upper terminals 96 of the respective drop tubes 78 until the basket has been transferred from the freezing floor to the thawing tank. Y

At the thawing tank while the basket is dipped into warm water to tha-w loose the ice from the cans, the nozzles 94 are removed from the respective drop tubes and inserted into sealing cups 97.

These sealing cups 97 prevent water or dirt from getting into the air connections, protect the ends of the nozzles from possible injury and also definitely place the nozzles where they are best at once accessible and out of the way.

An advantageous form of sealing cup litting is shown in Figures 16 and 17, where the sealing pockets 98 and 97 are upon a suitable bracket 100.

It is desirable to have the flexible connections 95 from the nozzles 94 to the double T fitting 18 of the air lateral one above the other when placed out of the way between the cans and for this reason the outer socket 98 is raised with respect to the inner socket 99.

The sockets are tapered to fit the slight taper of the nozzles.

These sealing pockets may be mounted on the side of one of the cans as seen in Figures 1 and l, or may be mounted on the pivoted bracket 88 of Figures 18 and 19.

ln operation the baskets are supported in rows side .by side in the freezing tank between transverse bulk heads 101. Vertical guides 102 chamfered away at the top for easy entry of the side plates 28 and 29 of the basket exactly position the baskets and separate the successive baskets from one another.

The freezing floor may comprise, chiefly or wholly, covers for the baskets, each cover resting upon the tops of the side plates 28 and 29.

An air header 52 (see Figure 1 or 4) eX- tends across the ends of a row of baskets and the flexible connection 51 carrying the supply nozzle 50 is connected into the inlet socket of the self-closing valve 41 while the basket is in place and into an air check 62 or 62 while the basket is away from the freezing floor.

The side plates 28 and 29 usually extend somewhat beyond the line of the last can so that there are perhaps ten or twelve inches of space between the ends of adjacent rows of baskets at the header, or in any event room suliicient for placing the air check 62 horizontally as shown in Figure 4.

During the freezing the supply nozzle 50 is connected into the socket of the inlet valve 41 of the lateral and the nozzles 94 upon the ends of the flexible connections 95 from the lateral are in the upper terminals 96 of the respective air tubes, the air tubes being loosely carried by the brackets so as to depend in the middle of the cans.

During the freezing the basket is covered with a lid not shown. After freezing is over this lid is lifted away, the nozzle 50 is transferred from the self-closing valve 41 to the air check 62. The whole basket is then transferred to the thaw tank for thawing. Hooks of suitable lifting mechanism engage the basket at the lifting pins 38.

This thawing operation requires some little time and during thawing the nozzles 94 in the ends of the flexible connections 95 between the drop tubes and the laterals are taken out of the upper terminals of the drop tubes and put into the sealing pockets 97, the air tubes thawed loose from the ice by a suitable thawing needle and the air tube and air tube brackets moved out of the way.

The air tubes and their brackets comprise preferably tube and bracket units loosely but permanently connected. Those in the form shown in Figures 1 and 2 are lifted out and away from the basket after the tubes have been thawed loose.

In the pivoted form of bracket shown in Figures 18 and 19 when the tubes have been thawed loose, the bracket is raised pulling the tubes out above the ice. The tubes are then turned 90O and pushed down to latching position between the cans, already described, loosely latching to position so as not to move during the dumping period.

After the air tubes have been moved out of the way and the ice has been thawed loose from the cans, the basket is transferred to the dump where it is inclined sufficiently to permit the loosened cakes of ice to slide from the cans.

The basket is then turned back to horizon-y tal, filled with fresh water, and the air tubes put back to position in the middle of the cans. The nozzles 94 are taken from sealing cups 97 and inserted into 96 of the air tubes. A

The basket is now moved back to the freezing tank where it is set between suitable bulk yheads'lOl, guided to exact position by `vertical basketguides 102 on the bulk heads. f The supply nozzle 50 is now pulled out of the air check 62 or 62 and inserted into the the upper terminals inlet pocket of the self-closing valve 41 on the lateral. f

vention without copying the structure shown, p, and` I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A can basket for handling simultaneously a plurality of cans, an air lateral permanently fastened to the basket, a drop tube in the middle of each can, a removable connecy tion between the drop tube and the lateral,

a common pivoted bracket support for two adjacent drop tubes and adapted to be swung o to alinement between the cans.

2. A can basket for simultaneously handling a plurality of cans, an air lateral permanently fastened to the basket, a drop tube in the middle of each can, Va removable connection between the drop tube andthe lateral, a pivoted bracket support for a pair of adjacent drop tubes adapted to be raised and turned 9()O and lowered into alinement between the cans without removal from the basket.

3. A can basket, a plurality of ice cans therein, an air lateral secured to the basket, drop tubes in the center of respective cans, a double bracket, and pivoted supporting means therefor permanently fastened to the ice cans and adapted to swing into position between the cans.

4. Ice making apparatus comprising a receptacle for containing liquid to be frozen, an air header associated with said receptacle,

lmeans for supplying air to said header, an

air bleed in said header for allowing the leakage of air therefrom, a connection between the header and the` receptacle for supplying air into the receptacle for agitating the liquid, said connection being disposed between said air supplying means and said air bleed, substantially as set forth.

5. Ice making apparatus comprising a can grid, a plurality of cans in said grid, a header extending longitudinally of said grid, means for supplying air to said header, an air bleed tgl onse-id header for allowing the slow escape of air from said header, connections between saidiheader and said cans, seidconnections being positioned between said air supplying means and said air bleed, substantially as set forth.

6., The method of preventing freezing of moisture-in air laterale of ice Ina-king apparatus having drop tube connections which consists in bleeding air from the lateral beyond thelast. drop tube connection, substantially asiy set` forth..

JGSEPH A. BIAR'ITOCELLO.` 

